


Arms and legs (They get in the way)

by Gallus



Category: One Piece
Genre: Dismemberment, Gen, Panic Attacks, Skin picking, Whump, getting a lot of mileage out of that tag lately
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 14:02:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22497304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gallus/pseuds/Gallus
Summary: Sometimes Law needs a hand. Sometimes he needs less of them.
Relationships: Bepo & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Penguin & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Shachi & Trafalgar D. Water Law
Comments: 18
Kudos: 124





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from [Mother Mother](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0WYiK52Dg)

Law’s wearing a shirt.

That in and of itself wouldn’t be all that suspicious if weren’t for the fact that, one, the captain preferred to be shirtless whenever possible, and two, they were currently docked at a beautiful summer island.

Penguin is pretty sure he knows the reason for this.

Penguin let’s Shachi know, and then they go to Bepo who is able to confirm their fears.

Law’s been scratching at himself in his sleep again.

So Penguin suggests to Ikkaku that today would be perfect for a shopping trip, and Shachi goes to Uni and encourages him and some of the guys to go for that night out they’ve been talking about, and Bepo tells Jean Bart that he feels like doing rounds himself tonight and to go ahead and take the night off, and then they wait to catch the captain in the kitchen.

Sneaking out of his room for a late night snack is when Law is most likely to be alone. It’s Shachi who catches him, and sends the signal to Penguin, who alerts Bepo to come up behind Law while his head is in the fridge, and physically carry him back to the captain's quarters.

Law doesn’t even struggle.

When they make it to Law’s room Shachi locks the door, and Bepo deposits Law onto his bed, while Penguin grabs Kikoku from against the bedside table.

“Take off your shirt, captain.” says Shachi.

Law shots them a long suffering glare.

“Take your shirt off before Bepo does it.” says Penguin.

Law sighs, then slides off his long coat, and pulls off his shirt.

Long, angry red welt lines run along Law’s sides and up his rib cage. Shachi grabs one of Law’s hands. The nails have been bitten back badly, and the skin around them has been chewed and picked at.

Penguin can’t help but hiss in empathy pain.

“Captain,” Bepo says sadly, “you need to tell us when it’s getting bad.”

“Why?” snaps Law, “So you can take my arms off?”

“You know we can’t do that without your permission, captain.” says Penguin.

Law says nothing.

“Why don’t you ever just let us help you?” says Shachi.

Law grumbles something under his breath.

Penguin leans forward, “Hm?”

“I said,” Law says to the floor, “I’m not so weak I can’t take care of myself.”

“Oh, captain.” says Bepo, “I don’t think you could ever be weak.”

Law sighs, and seems to go limp. Like a puppet with its strings cut. He leans back against the headboard, and with a flick of his wrist they’re surrounded by blue light. “Just go ahead and get it over with.” he sighs.

“Lean back against Bepo first.” Shachi tell him.

Law hauls himself up off the bed, and leans his full weight against Bepo’s chest. He holds his arms out a little ways to the side, while Bepo wraps his arms around his waist.

Penguin unsheathes Kikoku. He feels the cursed blade hum under his fingers as he presses it to Law’s right shoulder joint. He looks Law in the eye, “You sure about this, captain?” he asks.

Law nods.

“No take backs, captain?” asks Bepo.

“...no take backs.” Law says quietly, and Penguin slices into the meat of his shoulder.

The arm comes off in one easy cut. Law hisses involuntarily, but doesn’t react besides that.

Shachi leans in to take the arm away. Penguin lines up the blade with the other shoulder, and sees Law’s fingers twitch. Bepo tightens his grip, and Penguin slices down before Law can finish saying, “Wait, I change my mind.”

Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes they don’t even need to implement no take backs, and Law just lets them help him. All these years they’ve known each other and Penguin still can’t be certain whether it’s going to be better or worse.

Penguin has to pull the blade back quickly to avoid cutting Law as he drops the Room. Shachi grabs the other arm as Law starts to flail. Penguin steps back, sheaths Kikoku, and sets her back in her spot next to the bed.

Bepo pulls Law to the ground, grip tight, as the man starts to panic. Penguin comes around to Law's front, and puts his hands on what remains of Law's shoulders. Law looks at him with frenzied eyes. "Penguin." Law says with his Captain Voice, "Give me back my arms. That's an order. Give me back my goddamn arms."

But he's not the captain right now. The first time they did this, he had been a half feral thing. Cheeks bloody from scratching at blemishes that weren’t there anymore, one arm already gone, unable to get the other off. _“Get these things off of me.”_ he had said, _“Get these_ fucking _things off.”_

That had been before even Kikoku. Penguin had to saw through Law’s left arm with a kitchen knife.

He doesn’t get that bad these days. These days he's just small, sad, mean, little Law.

Penguin helps Bepo get Law down onto the floor. He stretches Law's legs out, and when Law starts to kick he crawls onto Law's lap, and wraps his arms around Law's chest to help hold him there.

Off to the side Law's started tearing into his thumbs with his forefingers. Shachi takes Law's hands, laces their fingers together, and presses their joined hands to the floor palms down.

Law is heaving in big, uneven breaths. Penguin hooks his jaw over Law’s shoulder, and starts taking long exaggerated breaths. In through the nose for four, hold for seven, out through the mouth for eight. Bepo bends down to start talking quietly to Law. “Shh, Law, it’s okay. We’ve got you, Law. Just breath like Penguin. It’s okay.”

“Law,” says Shachi, “It’s okay.”

It’s important when Law’s like this to let him know he’s not the captain anymore. That was something they learned early on. During the fifth or sixth time they did this Law had been hissing that he was the _Captain,_ that this was _insubordination._

It had been Bepo that looked him in the eye and said, _“No, Law, not right now.”_

Law’s running out of steam. His kicks are getting less frequent, his breathing a little less jagged. They’re about halfway there.

Penguin keeps holding on, keeps breathing, even when Law stops trying to thrash him off and start matching his breaths. Penguin knows not to let his guard down until he gets the all clear.

Off to the side Shachi is loosening his grip on Law’s hands. They stay flat on the ground. Penguin loosens his grip as well. The Law in his and Bepo’s arms is a docile thing. Sometimes he does this, goes quiet and still. The first time it happened Penguin had been all of sixteen years old, and had no idea what to do. He had held tight onto Law, and they had fallen asleep like that.

Law lets them wrap up his hands, and rub ointment onto his scratches, and move him and Bepo to the bed, all with a glassy look in his unfocused eyes.

Law’s bed is large, but it’s still a tight fit to get Bepo curled up at the head, with Law in the middle, and him and Shachi on either side. When they were kids they could easily fit in the bed together, but then Law and Bepo had their grown spurts.

They have Law’s arms resting on top of him, ready to be put back if Law asks. Shachi has one hand curled loosely in his own, as he rubs at Law’s knuckles with his thumb. Penguin is back to breathing normally, but Law still matches him.

Law closes his eyes, and his fingers tighten ever so slightly around Shachi’s. “Heya, Law.” Shachi grins, “you back with us?”

No response.

“You want to keep lying like this?”

A small squeeze.

Penguin moves Law’s other hand so it’s resting on his bicep. “You let us know if you need anything, right?”

Law’s bandaged fingers curl against his skin.

“Good.”

Penguin dozes lightly. He has one arm thrown over Law, and Law’s dismembered arm is resting lightly against his own. Law will be fine now. He’ll get some sleep without clawing himself up, and he’ll tell them what he wants when he feels like talking again.

They’ll be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have this marked as complete for now, but there's a tentative follow up in the works


	2. Chapter 2

Sometimes he goes to them first. The first night on Zou is one of those times.

Law paces back and forth in his room, waiting for it to be late enough that no one would come to bother him. While he paces he tries his hardest not to pick at all the little wounds Doflamingo gave him. He’s not sure which is harder to avoid picking at, the bullet holes in his torso, or the circular scar that surrounds his right arm.

He want to peel back to scabs on the bullet holes to make sure there’s nothing still in there. He wants to claw at his arm to make sure it’s still there.

His parents had showed him all sorts of tricks to stop from scratching. Keep your nails short, if it itches rub at it with your palm, wear something that covers it so you can’t see.

Law rubs roughly at his chest, and decides almost midnight is good enough. He stalks the halls towards the room Penguin and Shachi are staying in, and bursts in, not caring if they’re asleep.

Penguin stands leaning against the wall talking to Shachi who’s sitting on his bed. They both look up at him in the doorway. “Oh. We were just about to come get you, captain.” says Penguin.

Law takes a breath, and holds Kikoku out. “I need you to take my arms off.” he says.

Shachi stands up. “I’ll run go get Bepo.” he says, and pushes past Law out the door.

Penguin takes Kikoku from him, and ushers him into the room. “Come help me get these mattresses on the floor.” he tells Law.

Penguin sets Kikoku off to the side, and together they take the mattresses from the beds, and push them together in the middle of the floor.

Law sits on his hands in the center of one, and bounces his leg while Penguin fiddles with the blankets and pillows.

Shachi is taking too long, and Law can’t take it. “Just do it.” he tells Penguin, “Please, just do it already.”

Penguin comes over with a blanket, and hands it to him by a corner that looks like it might start to flay soon. Law hands shoot out to pick at the string, and Penguin runs a hand up his back. “You know the rules, captain.” he says sadly.

The fucking rules. It’s an embarrassment that they do this often enough that they’ve had to come up with _rules_. Law unconsciously starts to bring his thumb up to his mouth to gnaw on. He doesn’t notice he’s doing it until Penguin wraps a hand around his wrist, and pins it to the mattress.

Law looks down at his hand, and it feels like it’s not even his. Penguin must see something in his eyes because he asks, “You want me to hold the other one down too?”

Law’s about to answer when to door opens, and Bepo and shachi come walking in. “Sorry for the wait,” says Shachi, “this guy was already asleep.”

“Sorry, captain.” says Bepo.

Law swallows. _Finally_. 

Bepo stands him up in front of the mattresses, and Law holds out his arms and quickly summons a Room. Kikoku is so long that it’s easier to take them off while standing. Penguin lines the blade up to his shoulder joint, and Shachi puts a hand on his arm, ready to take it away. “Are you sure about this, captain?” Shachi asks.

Law nods. It’s one of the rules that they have to get confirmation from him first

“No take backs?” asks Penguin, as he leans in with the blade.

Law shakes his head. “No.” he says, “No take backs. Now _please_.”

Penguin cuts in, and he doesn’t feel a thing. The arm comes off in one short swipe, and Law thinks about what a good blade Kikoku is.

Shachi takes it away, as Penguin stretches out his right arm. Penguin hesitates. His hand lingers as he thumbs over the scar Doflamingo gave him. “Are you _sure_ about this, captain.” he asks.

Law could sob. “Yes.” he says, “Yes. Do you want me to beg? Just _take it_.”

Penguin slices though, and Shachi takes it away, and Bepo doesn’t need to pull him to the ground because Law’s legs go to jelly.

Bepo holds tight, and doesn’t let him fall as he gently lowers Law onto the mattresses. Penguin stretches out his legs so he’s not kneeling on them awkwardly. Shachi is carrying the arms to the other side of their makeshift bed.

It’s been too long since they’ve done this. He never should have gone to Punk Hazard alone.

Law can already feel his mind going foggy. Some old animal part of his brain takes over, and he doesn’t think, only observes.

He must have dropped the Room at some point, because now he can feel Shachi stretching his arms out.

Penguin gives him a small smile, and rubs a hand up his shoulder. Because Law’s not thinking, only feeling, his eyes automatically flick over to look at Penguin’s hand, and he sees it.

His right arm is gone.

It’s fucking gone.

Immediately he feels his pulse go rabbit fast under Penguin’s hand. His arm is gone. It’s gone. Doflamingo took it, and it’s gone.

He starts to struggle against Bepo’s grip. He needs to, he needs to.

Penguin is in his lap, pinning his legs down. Distantly he can feel his traitorous fingers start to scrap against themselves without his permission.

His palms are held flat to the mattress, but his fingers still twist against the fabric. His vision goes blurry, and he doesn't realize it’s because he’s crying until Penguin thumbs the tears from his eyes. Bepo is saying something, but he can’t make out the words. He only feels them rumbling against his back.

He can’t catch his breath. He’s caught between two chests, both of them breathing steady, and he wants someone to come carve out his lungs and breath for him.

He can feel strings dancing up and down him like ant bites, and he must be saying something out loud because Bepo’s grips shifts to up to his armpits, and Penguin starts running his hands up and down his torso. The sensation causes Bepo’s voice to cut through the fog. “-not here, Law. Just focus on Penguin. It’s all okay, it’s okay.”

And Bepo’s never lead him astray, so he forces himself to focus on Penguin’s steady breathing, and the feeling of Penguin’s hands slowly rubbing up and down and up and down. He manages to drag in a breath at the same time as Penguin’s steady inhale, hold it, and hiss it out in time with Penguin. He does that a few more times, and it slowly starts to get easier.

He can’t feel his hands anymore, only the gentle squeezing of Shachi’s fingers. The strings start to fade away, and are replaced with Bepo’s soft fur and Penguin’s calloused hands. Now tears of embarrassment start to prick at his eyes. He’s so fucking weak. He came to his crew asking for this, and he can’t even do that right.

“Not weak.” says Bepo, “Never weak. You’re probably the strongest person I know.”

And Law’s so tired it’s enough to shut him completely down. The old animal part of him rises back up and takes over. He let’s Penguin clean off his face, and Bepo rearrange him at will, and he hums a little happy noise when Shachi starts absently tracing the tattoos on his arms.

He’s leaned back against Bepo, with Penguin and Shachi curled up at his sides. Shachi is asking if he needs anything, but speech is beyond him right now. He wants to thank them, but his tongue feels numb. It’s times like this when he wishes he could signspeak. He picked up a few simple signs from Cora, but he doesn’t dare repeat them for fear that his mutinous hands would purposefully mangle the words.

Bepo is breathing heavy and slow under him, Penguin is saying something to Shachi in a soft voice, Shachi is nodding along, and still tracing his tattoos and between the three of them he’s safe

He is safe.


End file.
